Military recruiters’ misconduct rising

WASHINGTON, D.C.  Wrongdoing by military recruiters jumped by more than half - from about 400 cases in 2004 to almost 630 in 2005 - with more than half the recruiting crimes reported last year linked to the Army, government investigators said.

Grueling combat conditions, a decent domestic job market and high monthly recruiting goals have led to overly aggressive tactics and even criminal activity by some recruiters, the Government Accountability Office said Monday.

The report was done at the request of lawmakers who were concerned that not enough was being done to curb aggressive recruitment practices.

"Even one incident of recruiter wrongdoing can erode public confidence in the recruiting process," the GAO warned.

The wrongdoing ranged from falsifying documents, harassment and other overly aggressive tactics.